E, Sixth Infantry California Volunteers, under my command, from May 10 to 20, inclusive:

May 10, left Camp Iaqua at 10 a. m. with thirty men of Company E, Sixth Infantry California Volunteers, one packer, and nine mules and two guides. Arrived at Reed's farm at 2 p. m., ten miles, and camped to prepare parties to go out the next morning. May 11, sent fifteen men and a guide with the train to Cutterback's ranch, near the Van Dusen River, via the Hydesville trail, thirteen miles. Took fifteen men and a guide and crossed the Redwoods, arriving at Cutterback's ranch at 4 p. m., where I met the train. This part of the Redwoods is covered with a very dense undergrowth and is extremely rough. It is impossible to discover a person at the distance of ten feet. Corporal Heller became exhausted, fainting several times, and it was with much difficulty that I got him through. Sergeant McCullough fell into a hidden ravine and dislocated his left shoulder. I sent him to Hydesville to obtain the assistance of a surgeon. Traveled twelve miles in the Redwoods and saw no signs of Indians. May 12, went up the Van Dusen River ten miles to a place known as Smith's ranch (all the ranches on the Van Dusen are deserted), where I arrived at 5 p. m. and found three soldiers, who represented to belong to Company E, Battalion Mountaineers, California Volunteers, and that they were stationed on the Van Dusen at the crossing of the new mail trail to protect the propriety of the contractor. Suspecting they were deserters, I made prisoners of them. Indians. May 13, sent a scouting party up the Van Dusen to the mouth of Grizzly Creek; thence up Grizzly Creek with two days' rations. Also sent a party in the direction of Eel River, to return by way of the new mail station and ascertain if the prisoners I made the day previous were deserters. Party returned bringing with them the order placing Corporal Knighton and four men of Company E, Battalion Mountaineers, California Volunteers, on duty at the mail station with instructions to scout in the vicinity. I thereupon released them. Scout traveled eight miles and saw no fresh signs of Indians. May 14, the scout that went to Grizzly Creek returned, having discovered no fresh signs of Indians. Traveled eighteen miles. Country very rough. Sent party to examine a small prairie four miles north of this place in the Redwoods. Saw no signs. Traveled eight miles.

May 15, left Smith's ranch at daylight and arrived at the Bald Ranges on Larrabee Creek at 10 a. m., twelve miles. Saw no signs of Indians. Sent a scouting party up the creek, one down, and two others in different directions. Neither of these parties discovered any signs of Indians. Traveled twenty-four miles. May 16, left Larrabee Creek at 6 a. m., and having learned that a scouting party from Fort Grant was on the south side of the ridge which separates Larrabee Creek from Larrabee Valley, and that a party from the vicinity of Fort Seward was about eight miles east of me, to avoid them and keep in country that had not been scouted, I took a northeasterly course fourteen miles to the Van Dusen River, crossed it, and camped. Sent out three parties in different directions. They traveled twelve miles and saw no signs of Indians. May 17, left camp at 7 a. m., taking an easterly course to the head of Grizzly Gulch; thence south to a point near Reed's farm, where the train was left to await the return of a scout sent in the direction of the junction of the three Yagers (creeks), where it was supposed the Indians who had been killing cattle in the neighborhood of Fort Baker had gone. In the country between the Van Dusen River and Reed's farm we found no signs of Indians. Distance, twelve miles. May